"The best gifts in the world are not in the material objects one can buy from the store, but in the memories we make with the people we love." As I have gotten older and wisdom has finally set in, I have come to see what Christmas was meant to be about: the making of memories. At some point in our lives most of the presents received (with a few exceptions) become a blur, but time spent with family and friends is not easily forgotten. Which means I take the day (particularly the meal and all of the associated hoopla planning) seriously. Given the chance, who does not want to tip the scales in favor of creating good memories?
The good news (or bad news depending on one's perspective) is that there are no Christmas meal traditions in our family. Some years I have made a booklet containing all of the meal's recipes while in other years I have simply recorded the menu.This year's holiday meal incorporated some of my travels this year as well as included the past favorites of beef tenderloin, red wine mushroom gravy, roasted balsamic red onions (made this year with the worth its' weight in gold traditional balsamic vinegar by Mia Bella bought on a recent trip to Tucson), and Wendy's Mashed Potatoes as well as several 'new' or rather 'new to my family' dishes. The spinach-apple salad with a maple-cider vinaigrette, roasted brussels sprouts gratin, a bread pudding (an adaptation of the New Orleans School of Cooking recipe), and the chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing, Momofuku style were making a first time holiday appearance. To compliment this relatively rich meal, my sister and brother-in-law were bringing the unbelievable (big and bold) 2007 Keenan Cabernet Franc (Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District). Yet in spite of all the thought and planning that went into the meal part of the day, there was one dish I had reservations about.
So I decided to text to my sister to be certain brussels sprouts were on the list of vegetable favorites. The expected response was a simple 'yes or no' answer, but hers came with a qualifier 'brussels sprouts with pancetta'. For a moment I wondered whether to send back a snarky sisterly response ('that wasn't the question') but instead remained silent as even adding a smiley face to that response wouldn't have completely disguised what I was thinking. Little did she know I was going to be making brussels sprouts with pancetta, only it wasn't going to be the 'brussels sprouts with pancetta' she might have been anticipating. Spoiler Alert: The Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin may now be her favorite way to eat 'brussels sprouts and pancetta'.
After looking at the ingredients in Saveur's Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin recipe after going to the grocery store several times, I made the decision to make some minor ingredient changes (eliminating the garlic and thyme) as I felt there may have been too many flavors going on. Additionally, I wanted to temper the richness of the dish slightly by using both heavy whipping cream and whole milk. The recipe also needed to be doubled as one pound of brussels sprouts was not going to serve nine hungry, somewhat adventurous eaters. Before doing the grocery shopping I had read somewhere smaller sized brussels sprouts were more flavorful and tender. I almost let out a scream of sheer delight when I came upon the big box of perfect, small brussels sprouts in the produce aisle. Finding the 'perfect' brussels sprouts was a foreshadowing good things to come kind of omen.
Saveur's recipe called for the use of bacon, however, even before the text exchange with my sister I knew I wanted to use pancetta instead. If bacon makes everything taste better, thick slices of pancetta would achieve that and more. Additionally the recipe called for the use of six shallots. The shallots available at one of the stores I frequent look as if they were on steroids. Because of their size, I opted to use just two of them. Thinly sliced the shallots measured almost one cup. The thick slices of chopped pancetta and thin slices of shallots are sautéd until the onions have caramelized. After deglazing the pan with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, the pancetta and shallots are transferred to a large buttered oval gratin dish and tossed with one teaspoon of lemon zest.
Roasting almost any vegetable can significantly alter their flavors. Caramelizing their natural sugars brings out their natural sweetness. And roasting brussels sprouts transforms the beautiful green and white gems into incredible bites of deliciousness. Simply tossed in extra-virgin olive oil, seasoned with kosher salt and pepper, the brussels sprouts are roasted in a 400 (F) degree preheated oven for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until lightly browned and easily pierced with a knife). The vegetables going into the oven are not the same ones coming out.
The second layer of the gratin is the mornay sauce. Made with heavy cream, whole milk, butter, flour, grated gruyere cheese, grated Parmigano-Reggiano cheese, kosher salt and white pepper, it is poured evenly over the roasted brussels sprouts, cooked pancetta and caramelized shallots. The final layer of the gratin is made with panko bread crumbs, melted butter, lemon zest and some grated gruyere cheese. At this point the entire gratin can be covered and refrigerated for several hours or overnight (I made mine the night before with great results).
I baked the gratin in a preheated 350 (F) degree oven for somewhere between 30-35 minutes. Most gratins are baked at higher temperatures (i.e., 400 degrees), however, having several side dishes to bake (all with different baking temperatures) I simply reduced the temperature and increased the baking time (t worked). When the top of the gratin was lightly browned and thoroughly heated through I took it out of the oven.
Yes I know, this another one of those blog postings without a final finished photo. Getting the Christmas dinner on the table along with bad lighting are my excuses this time. If you could only see the finished dish. Seriously it was beautiful. I would bet it is a dish destined to entice even those who don't think they are fans of brussels sprouts (or specify they eat them only one way). One bite of the gratin might make them wonder why they may have dissed them for so long.
The Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin was a great compliment to the medium-rare roasted beef tenderloin, however, it would also pair well with chicken, lamb or pork (don't think a rich gratin goes particularly well with fish). If a baked ham is something you serve on New Year's Day, the gratin along with the Lemony Potato Salad would make for a great, memorable meal. Isn't making memories what holiday meals are all about? Heck, why limit memorable meals to only the holidays? And oh, before I forget, the roasted brussels sprouts gratin will be making repeat appearances here and we will not be waiting for a holiday.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin (adapted from the recipe shared in Saveur)
Serves 6-8 as a side dish
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds brussel sprouts (choose small ones if you can find them), rinsed and halved
2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (yield approximately 1 cup)
3 thick slices (5-6 ounces) pancetta, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoon fresh squeeze lemon juice
2 teaspoon lemon zest (divided)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (divided)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper (could use black pepper)
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1. For the gratin topping, mix together the panko bread crumbs, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 ounce of gruyere, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Arrange in a single layer on large baking tray. Roast for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until browned and can be pierced with a fork). Set aside.
4. Heat a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots and pancetta, stirring frequently until shallots begin to caramelize. Deglaze pan with 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Stir and remove from heat. Toss shallots/pancetta with roasted brussels sprouts and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Transfer to a 9"x12" buttered baking dish or 10" oval gratin dish. Set aside.
5. To make the mornay sauce: In a 3 quart saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Add 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour, stirring frequently to create a light brown, nutty toasted scented roux. Slowly add whipping cream and milk, stirring frequently to prevent lumps and burning until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 3 ounces of grated gruyere cheese and 1 ounce of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
6. Pour mornay sauce over brussels sprouts/shallots/pancetta mixture.
7. Sprinkle the panko bread crumb mixture evenly over top of gratin.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through. Serve immediately.
Note: The gratin can be prepared early in the day or the night before. Store covered in the refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator at least one hour before baking.
